44 WHITE— A Sketch of the Life of Samuel White. 



and the birds soon took up their abode in it, and the same 

 season prepared their nest of shreaded bark of the stringy 

 bark gum, lined with hair, and in due course laid three white 

 eggs, sparsely spotted with dark reddish-brown, and started 

 to sit, but unfortunately something disturbed them, and the 

 hen-bird which did all the sitting, left her charge, and the eggs 

 went cold, and became no good. The birds have not left the 

 place, although this year they have not laid in their old nest- 

 ing place. 



Note on the Stone Plover (Burhinus magnirostris). 



By F. R. Ziktz, R.A.O.U. 



The Director of the Adelaide Zoological Gardens (Mr. A. 

 0. Minchin) has brought under my notice a strange habit of 

 a. pair of these birds, which have nested for several seasons 

 in the local gardens. The male bird is unable to fly, but the 

 female has her wings complete. Two eggs constitute the 

 clutch, and two young ones are usually hatched. Mr. Min- 

 chin, as well as several members of his staff have seen the 

 female bird, running along and carrying a young one under 

 each wing, with the head protruding forwards. As I have 

 not seen a previous record of this curious habit, it would be 

 interesting to know if this is the usual habit of these birds to 

 thus protect their young. 



A Sketch of the Life of Samuel White — 

 Ornithologist, Soldier, Sailor, and Explorer. 



By His Sox, S. A. White, M.B.O.U. 



XII. THE ORNITHOLOGIST AND SAILOR. 



My father was now approaching that wonderful collection 

 of islands which are situated between the Australian and 

 New Guinea coasts. I say wonderful islands because they 

 are the homelof the Great Bird of Paradise, the King Bird of 

 Paradise, as well as other interesting forms. So it can be 

 well understood with what great expectations my father was 

 looking forward to the next few months collecting, yet in his 

 notes of January 23rd. he fore-shadows trouble, when he 

 writes. "Both my taxidermists are laid up with bad feet, con- 



